Let's Dance
by rubydesires
Summary: It's time for the Centurion Ball, but who's gonna ask Lydia? More importantly, who's she gonna accept? "Prequel" to Fears. Complete!
1. A better offer?

**AN:** Well, I promised you another one, so here it is! Okay, the only reason I'm calling this a prequel is because it happens before Fears. It really has nothing to do with that story, it's just in the same time line. It could just work as one chapter, but I wanted to include the dance, so I'm making it two chapters . . . so would that be a two-shot? Anyway, the only peeps I own is Nightshade and Derrick.

Oh! Yes, I know that Lyds and BJ dance in the cartoon. So when she asks him about it, I mean _dancing_ and _knowing how to dance_ are two completely different things. Any one can shake their hips, but can they do it so they don't end up killing themselves?

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We decided to go to the Shocking Mall today. Why? Well, Lyds just wanted to look at anything new. I, on the other hand, needed to figure out what to get her for her birthday. Babes was gonna be sixteen next week, and I still had no clue what to get her. So here we were, goin' in to every fuckin' shop and nothin' had really caught her interest. I was screwed.

"Hey, Beej? Is it just me, or are there more girls than usual here?" Lyds suddenly asked me.

There was? I looked around to see if she was right. Damn, why didn't I notice all these broads before? "Ummmm, yeah, there's more than usual."

"Why?"

"Dunno, babes."

Then she let out a surprised squeak as she was just short of tackled by Nightshade. She had flung her arm over Lyds' shoulder and dropped her fedora on the girl's head.

"Well, Lydibug, unlike our dear Beejay, I make it my business to know what's goin' on in the Neitherworld. Although, he _should_ know what's happenin'."

"And what, pray tell, would that be, dear Emily?" I asked with a British accent. I smirked as she shot me a glare over Lyds' head for the use of her breather name.

"Tomorrow night is the Centurion Ball. Biggest event of the century, seeing as it only happens every one hundred years . . . argal, the name."

Lyds took the hat off and gave it back. "So, why all the girls?"

"We're here to find and/or buy the perfect dress!" Nights said with a grin.

"So which poor guy are you draggin' this time?" I asked her. She had convinced me to go with her to the first one after we died. Haven't gone to another one since.

"I'm going with Derrick, and _he_ actually wants to go. I didn't have to frickin bribe him like I did with _you_--yipe!"

Lyds had stopped suddenly and since Nights still had her arm around her shoulder, she had been jerked back. I stopped, and looked at Lyds while I put my hands in my pockets. She was givin' me a shocked look. "What?"

"You know how to dance?"

"'Course, babes. What they hell do you think we did in England? Didn't have a tv."

"Dancing was how we socialized, Lydibug. Although, the number of couples certainly diminished during the Black Death," Nights said slippin' into her own British accent.

"Whoa, wait a second. You two are from England?" Lyds asked lookin' from me to Nights. "And you're _not_ related?"

Nightshade sighed, and I just rolled my eyes. "Babes, just 'cause England's small and an island, doesn't mean we're all related."

"Besides, Lydibug, I already told you. B's a direct descendant of the damn Vikings, and I'm Celtic. Two completely different blood lines . . ." Nights trailed off as she looked over my shoulder. "Princey at twelve o'clock."

Damn. What the hell was _he_ doin' here?

His royal _annoyingness_ walked up to our little group. "Nightshade, I trust you are doing well?"

Nights dropped her arm from Lyds' shoulder, and put her hands in the pockets of her trench coat with a shrug. "Can't complain much, I guess, Vince."

Yeah, I was bein' ignored by the stupid little _gloomy_ prince, but y'know what? I didn't give a shit. I just wanted him to leave. For good.

"Dear Lydia," he said while I thought of fun and creative ways to cause him pain. "Are you aware of what will be happening tomorrow evening?"

"Um, yeah, the ball."

"I would be honored if you would accompany me."

Wait, what? I was in the middle of a plan involving a hamster and a rubber band.

Lyds blushed and glanced at me and Nights. "Um . . . can I--can I think about it?"

"But, dear Lydia, it is tomorrow evening." Hehe, you've been de-nied, Princey boy.

"I know, but I kinda had some other plans . . ."

She did? I didn't know about any plans.

"Oh," he said while his stupid little rain cloud appeared. "Then I shall await your answer," and with that, he left. Finally.

I was gonna ask Lyds about these _plans_, but Nightshade beat me to it.

"_Plans_? Well, if that wasn't a bold face _lie_, then I'm the goddamn king of Spain."

Lyds looked at her and grimaced. "I didn't know what else to say . . ."

"Yes would have been a good choice. He's a _prince_, Lydibug."

Then my babes grinned. "But I might get a better offer!"

"A better offer?! Babes, he's a _prince_! What the hell's better than _that_?!" Sure, I didn't like the guy, but still.

Nights' face went blank as she looked from me to Lyds. Then she smirked, and the two of 'em had one a them "girl moments" where they say a shit load without actually talkin' and leaves us guys more than a little confused and paranoid.

"Oh, that would be better than a prince." She started walkin' away, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her a few steps away from Lyds so she wouldn't hear us.

"What's better than a prince?" I asked her.

She grinned. "A best friend." Nights managed to free her arm and waved to Lyds as she walked away. "If you do go, we should totally go dress shopping in the morning!"

Lyds nodded and waved back.

A best friend, huh? I looked over at Lyds. Did she even _want _to go? It was worth a shot, I guess . . .

"So, babes," I said as swaggered (that's right, folks, swaggered, 'cause I'm the goddamn Ghost with the Most) back to her side. "How about you and me show these stiffs how to really dance?"

Lyds made that cute little laugh that I loved so much, and linked her arm with mine. "I'd love to, Beej!"

So, a best friend's better than a prince in a girl's head? Yeah, I'll never understand chicks, but if my chick picks me every time, then I ain't gonna complain.

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**AN:** Yeah, I could end it there, but I really don't want to. Besides, the actual dance is why I decided to write this story. It won't be from B's pov, btw. The beginning will be, but not the end. Also, Lyds dress? It the same style as the one Giselle wears at the ball from the movie Enchanted. But it's a different color.

There was something else . . . oh yeah! If you haven't yet, you should totally read Beauty and the Beetle by Outside-the-inside-out-box, Mostly Dead by K. J. Gough, Shattered Mirrors by schuichistwin, and anything by WithoutHesitation. That's really what got me started (and continuing, actually) writing. Thanks guys!


	2. Promise

**AN:** Hmmmm, I don't know what to say. I guess "Thanks Outside-the-inside-out-box and Starling Powers for commenting." Soooo, Lyds' dress. Like I said, it the same one Giselle wears in Enchanted at the ball, but I think Lydia's is cut way lower in the back. Color's different, too. Ummmm . . . as much as it pains me to say this, I don't own Beetlejuice and Co. However, Nights and Derrick are mine!

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_Why_ was I doin' this again? Oh, yeah. Lyds wanted to. I hated to admit it, but that girl had me wrapped around her pretty little finger. Screw the fact I had a reputation to keep up. _She_ just wanted to be happy. Well fuck, it's not like I really cared when it came to her, 'cause I wanted her happy, too.

Lyds and Nightshade had spent for fucking ever shoppin'. Seriously! _Six hours_! _Why_ did chicks have to get a new dress for everything?! Just use one you already have. Lyds had this sparkly dark blue one that was cute. It would have worked _just_ fine! But _no_, Nights said they had to get _new_ ones. I will never ever understand women.

Any way, the "biggest event of the century" (accordin' to Nights) was gonna start in ten minutes. Time to see if Lyds was ready.

So there I was, leanin' against the mirror, openin' the channel to my babes.

"Damn, who is this hot chick in my babes' room?"

Lyds blinked at me, surprised. Hell, I'da blinked too if I wasn't busy starin'. The dress was a halter top deal, with the straps in the middle, and it was black. No surprise there, but it looked fuckin' good on her. I guess she was in the middle of fixin' her hair, 'cause she was holdin' it up.

"Ummm . . ." she said as she blushed. Goddamn, a guy shouldn't be thinkin' these thoughts about his best friend but . . . _damn_. "I kinda need my reflection so I can finish."

"Well, you know how to get me out, babes."

She smirked. "Could you have made that sound _any _dirtier?"

I shrugged. "Probably. You gonna do it, or what?"

"I'm so going to regret this. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice."

Now I was able to get a real good look at her. The dress wasn't just black. Sure, it was black at the top, but as it got longer, it faded to red until, at the bottom of the full length thing, it was a blood red. Of course, it was kinda hard to notice the color change since the back dipped down to her lower back. There was only one store in the entire Neitherworld where you could get an outfit like that. Midnight Desires. Owned by Nightshade. That's when I realized Nights wasn't _shoppin'_ yesterday. She'd been eyein' the competition.

"Beej, put your eyes back in your head."

I looked up and met her gaze in the mirror. "Just admirin' the view, babes," I said with a smirk.

"Nights said you would like it."

"Oh, I like it a lot. You clean up good, babes!" Now I'd just have to tear out the eyes of any guy who looks at her.

After about five minutes of her fixin' her hair, and my tryin' and failin' to keep my thoughts relatively clean, we were back in the Neitherworld.

The Centurion Ball was always held at the Castle, and it was the only time the area was "neutral territory". Basically, it meant we would all, at least, tolerate each other, and no one would kick me out 'cause I was me.

Lyds linked her arm with mine, and looked at me with an eyebrow quirked.

"What?"

"Is that a _clean_ suit, Beej?"

Damn, she noticed. "Yes," I growled. "But don't go tellin' anybody. I got a reputation, remember?"

She just smirked in reply.

"Aww, you two are so _cute _together!" Nights walked up to us, holdin' hands with her breather, Derrick? Wow, they looked good together. Where she was light, he was dark. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. He was also a good six inches taller than her. Which meant he was taller than me, too. Damn. Sure, I was taller than Nights, but that was only be a few inches. Nights' dress was a sparkly black, full length strapless, that flared out at the bottom, and her hair was done up in some complicated braid. Her breather had a dark red suit, and his short hair was slicked back. Both outfits were from her store.

"Nightshade, I swear, if you use _cute_ to describe me _one more time_, I will juice you." I _hated _when she did that.

"Relax, Billy buddy!" Then she looked up at her breather. "Well, ace, we gonna dance?"

"Doll, _I_ wasn't the one who just _had _to talk to everybody and their uncle!" he said as he dragged Nightshade through the gates.

"So, Lyds," I said after a short moment of silence. "Ready to dance?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

One two three. One two three. One two three. Gowns twirling in time to the music.

A prince watches with forever sad eyes as the woman he loves dances with another.

A ghost woman is reminded of the only time she enjoyed with the man she was to marry in her life as she dances with a living boy who makes her feel alive.

A living girl rests her head on her best friend's cold chest, where she would be able to hear his heart if it were beating. "Promise me, that no matter where this world takes us, we will always be best friends."

"I promise," he says as he holds her close.

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**AN:** Here's a lovely little tidbit: the promise was originally going to be in the first chapter of Second Chance (the Fears sequel) but I kinda like it better here. Also, it's from a flair on Facebook.

Ummm . . . if you didn't know, I've got a one-shot(?) as well. It's rated M.

Next up will be Consequences, which is BJ's and Nights' death. Then Second Chance. Then The Not So Little Poltergeist, which has nothing to do with this timeline. You'll just have to read it ;)


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